Earth Day has come and gone, but honestly, every day should be Earth Day. Our planet desperately needs our help if we’re going to continue living on it. I saw a quote the other day that really hit it for me. It went something along the lines of, “conservation is not about 100 people doing it perfectly, but it’s about everyone doing it imperfectly.” I love the idea that small changes we make in our day to day could make a big impact if we all do them together.
Unsure of where to get started? I have some ideas for you!
Vintage Ice Cream Truck planter
Plants as gifts
Did you know in Montgomery County, Maryland, for every tree you cut down you have to plant three more? I love this idea, especially as there is so much construction and new development. Take it a step further and give a tree as a gift! My parents have been doing this in our yard for years! At this point, I think every tree has a story. We also replaced fallen trees after hurricane Isabel. I got to pick out one of the trees and I chose a Japanese Maple because that’s the kind of tree I used to climb at my Aunt Sue and Uncle Mike’s house. Turns out, the tree is exactly my age so I’ve been able to watch it grow up as I’ve grown up myself.
If a tree is out of your price range, consider giving a potted plant rather than cut flowers. Depending on the type of plant, they can be transferred to the outdoors or live happy lives being natural air purifiers in your home.
Eco Friendly Reusable Grocery Bag
Reusable shopping bags
This one is kind of a no-brainer. Weird fact about Caroline: I actually have always hated plastic shopping bags. I honestly cannot even use tan ones without gagging. I’m not sure why- I’m an odd one. Besides being wasteful and, um, icky, they’re not very sturdy! I much prefer bringing a sturdy tote along for shopping. They also double as a cute bag when I’m running around doing errands on weekends.
Choose Used Collection
Reduce, reuse, recycle
I’m really glad that my mom raised me to give clothes a second life by always donating. Unless an article of clothing is damaged, I do NAHT throw clothing away. I’ve seen a few different numbers, but Americans throw away roughly 65 pounds of clothing per year. Throw… away? I honestly don’t compute, especially when there are much more earth-friendly things to do with your clothes. If you’re looking to donate, I suggest Pickup Please, which supports the Vietnam Veterans of America. You schedule a donation pickup and they come to you! They accept most things for home, but not furniture or large appliances.
If you’re looking to sell your clothes in a snap, check out ThredUp. I’ll be honest, I don’t make a lot with them but it’s great giving my clothes that I don’t wear anymore a new lease on life. Plus, they recycle the textiles they don’t want to resell. And as Sarah put it, better in their hands than in my apartment not being worn. If you prefer selling to shops in person, Uptown Cheapskate is my thrift shop of choice.
Eyelashes Metal Travel Coffee Mug
Consider ALL the plastics
Another thing to think about with clothes is the types of fabric you wear. I’ve always been a proponent of cotton over synthetics because they feel better, but did you know that fabrics like polyester take hundreds of years to biodegrade? Even natural fibers shouldn’t be thrown out because they’ve likely been dyed and treated and are generally not great for the environment, but the fake stuff can lead to micro plastic ocean pollution as well.
From what I can find, it looks like all facial cleansers and scrubs with plastic beads have been banned in the US at this point, but I still like to confirm that what I’m using on my face won’t end up in a fish’s tummy. I swear by the Grapefruit Facial Scrub from Brandless!
Last but not least, consider a reusable straw. Or go big and get a whole reusable tumbler, travel coffee cup (like the one above), or water bottle.
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